Behaviours for Learning - Supporting Students through Intervention 

This week I travelled to Canberra to meet with Assistant Principals from the Diocese.

One of our sessions focused on tiered intervention and using data to inform practices.

At St Patrick's we use a multi-tiered system. A multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) is a tiered model of instruction that includes: 

• a school-wide, multi-level system of instruction 
• high-quality classroom instruction 
• universal student screening 
• evidence-based interventions provided on a sliding scale of intensity 
• continuous, data-based progress monitoring.

High quality, evidence-based Tier 1 instruction is the foundation of MTSS. Tier 1 refers to the instruction that the whole class receives for example our Direct Instruction in English and Maths.

In an MTSS model, all students are screened to determine their capability in reading, spelling, writing and mathematics. The resulting data is used to inform whether students require intervention and for those that do, to tailor the intervention offered.

Tier 2 intervention involves intensifying support for students with knowledge or skill gaps that prevent them from responding to quality Tier 1 instruction. This involves the use of evidence-based instructional practices and empirically validated interventions in a small group setting. At St Patrick's this includes MinLit Sage, MacqLit, CMC and Reading Mastery small group intervention.

Tier 3 is 'intensive' interventions, these interventions support approximately 5% of students who have not responded to Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions. Students may require Tier 3 or 'intensive' level of supports involving highly individualised interventions to support a tailored learning program. The focus of Tier 3 is to reduce the intensity and complexity of existing individual student’s situations. Tier 3intervention at St Patrick's involves intensive and individualised 1:1 intervention in MinLit Sage, MacqLit, CMC and Reading Mastery.

DIBELS - Assessment & Data to Inform Intervention.

DIBELS was named as the assessment to be used to identify which students require intervention and at which tier.

What are DIBELS?

DIBELS are measures that help teachers and schools determine how students are performing on important reading skills. DIBELS stands for Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. These measures are designed for students in grades K-8.

What skills are measured by DIBELS and why are they important?

The critical skills necessary for successful beginning reading include: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The DIBELS measures assess students on four of these five critical skills, which are often referred to as the “Big Ideas” of reading. 

Which tests will be given to my child?

Each student will complete the tests depending on his or her grade and the time of year.

How often are students assessed?

All students in a school building are given the DIBELS test three times each year. This school-wide testing is called benchmark assessment. School personnel may also regularly check on the progress of students who receive reading intervention to make sure their reading skills are improving. These regular checks are called progress monitoring. Students who are progress monitored may complete one or two of the individual DIBELS tests as often as once a week or as little as once every 6 weeks depending on school resources and the needs of the student.